Azure Activity Logs: Kubernetes Pod Deletion via Connected Clusters API
Flags Azure Activity Log events indicating Kubernetes pods were deleted for connected clusters.
FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v5
- Product
- azure
- Service
- activitylogs
- Author
- Austin Songer @austinsonger (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2021-07-24
- Updated
- 2026-07-31
What it detects
This rule flags Azure Activity Log events where an operation deletes a Kubernetes pod through the Microsoft Kubernetes connected clusters API. Pod deletion can be used to disrupt workloads or remove evidence of prior activity, so detecting it helps identify impact to running applications. It relies on Azure Activity Logs entries matching the specific operationName for pod deletion and uses the associated event context for investigation.
Reporting behind it
- learn.microsoft.comhttps://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/role-based-access-control/resource-provider-operations#microsoftkubernetes
- github.comhttps://github.com/elastic/detection-rules/blob/065bf48a9987cd8bd826c098a30ce36e6868ee46/rules/integrations/azure/impact_kubernetes_pod_deleted.toml
- github.comhttps://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/cloud/azure/activity_logs/azure_kubernetes_pods_deleted.yml
Changelog
v5- v5Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v4Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v3Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v2Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v1No changelog recorded for this version.2026-07-30
Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.
azure-activity-logs-kubernetes-pod-deletion-via-connected-clusters-api-b02f9591
title: "Azure Activity Logs: Kubernetes Pod Deletion via Connected Clusters API"
id: 463fee06-e955-409f-b008-23ade9dcae38
status: test
description: This rule flags Azure Activity Log events where an operation deletes a Kubernetes pod through the Microsoft Kubernetes connected clusters API. Pod deletion can be used to disrupt workloads or remove evidence of prior activity, so detecting it helps identify impact to running applications. It relies on Azure Activity Logs entries matching the specific operationName for pod deletion and uses the associated event context for investigation.
references:
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/role-based-access-control/resource-provider-operations#microsoftkubernetes
- https://github.com/elastic/detection-rules/blob/065bf48a9987cd8bd826c098a30ce36e6868ee46/rules/integrations/azure/impact_kubernetes_pod_deleted.toml
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/cloud/azure/activity_logs/azure_kubernetes_pods_deleted.yml
author: Austin Songer @austinsonger, Huntrule Team
date: 2021-07-24
modified: 2022-08-23
tags:
- attack.impact
logsource:
product: azure
service: activitylogs
detection:
selection:
operationName: MICROSOFT.KUBERNETES/CONNECTEDCLUSTERS/PODS/DELETE
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Pods may be deleted by a system administrator. Verify whether the user identity, user agent, and/or hostname should be making changes in your environment.
- Pods deletions from unfamiliar users or hosts should be investigated. If known behavior is causing false positives, it can be exempted from the rule.
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: b02f9591-12c3-4965-986a-88028629b2e1
type: derived